From the frigid slopes of Haleakela, which rises 10,000 feet
above the ocean, to the lush forests that greet visitors on the
road to Hana, Hawaii is a land of crossroads, body and soul.
From the frigid slopes of Haleakela, which rises 10,000 feet above the ocean, to the lush forests that greet visitors on the road to Hana, Hawaii is a land of crossroads, body and soul. The divergent mix of cultures that the islands bring together have fostered their own varieties of cuisine – pungently tropical, with unexpected combinations to surprise and delight the tastebuds.
The island chain’s first settlers, the Polynesians, arrived as early as 700 AD, navigating their way from the Marquesas islands across the Pacific in outrigger canoes with only stars, currents and birds as their guides. Another migration wave took place around 1100 AD when a group most likely originating from the Society Islands came ashore.
Europeans first came into contact with the island culture when Captain James Cook landed there in 1778. Since then the chain has been home to a kaleidoscope of cultures. Indigenous Hawaiian foods like those served at a luau – poi, kalua pig, haupia – are still most popular among Westerners, but today’s Hawaiian cuisine reflects a wider palette.
“You’ll find a lot of times it’s food with an Asian flare, some Portuguese,” says Clinton Kaleikini, owner of Hawaii’z Island Grill in Gilroy.
Sushi and sashimi have been incorporated along with the sausages and sweet breads of colonial origin. Sometimes they take on a life of their own. Poke is a dish created with raw ahi tunafish, ground kukui nuts and seaweed, which bears little resemblance to its sushi roots.
The relaxed Hawaii’z has been open just over a month and is already developing a following with the local noontime crowd for its plate lunch, the Hawaiian version of a blue plate special. Each sampler offers a pan-pacific tour from the Korean touches in the spare ribs to the island flare of the mahi mahi to the side of sticky rice.
A new generation of chefs has elevated this local fare to haute status with the creation of Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. The movement, originated by a dozen passionate, creative chefs like Sam Choy (author of “Island Flavors” and “Hawai’i Cuisine” begins with a love for all things fresh. Local cheeses. Local seafood. Local seasonings and vegetables from the ‘aina (land).
From there it’s a pan-Pacific free-for-all influenced mostly by the chef’s own style. For this reason, personality rules the roost in Hawaiian cuisine.
Choy has built his own dynasty, as have other star chefs like Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi, all of whom have started their own restaurant chains. Macadamia-crusted mahi mahi served on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzled with coconut-spinach creme sauce is one of Choy’s signature dishes.
